Does anyone have a problem w/ anxiety when they stop eating sugar?

[smirkymonkey]

Or Starch?

I manage to go off the Sugar and starch (mostly wheat) for a while and start dropping weight like mad, however I start to get very anxious and depressed - even after months. When I start eating it again, the anxiety and depression goes away, but then I find myself on this rollercoaster, where the mood swings start and I need to keep eating it to keep my moods level.

Is anyone else this mood-reactive to these substances and if so, how do you deal with it?

[Broken_Hero]

1. hmm, not really...

I'm a fast food junkie, so most of my intake was burgers/fries/soda...but I do experience a sense of euphoria when I drink, a real Mt. Dew, or have a sweet snack aka swiss miss roll or something of that nature.

My wife on the other hand, is a sweet junkie...and when she goes a few days without sugar, she does get irritable, much like how she/and myself act when we are trying to quit smoking.

I deal with it, buy actually having a little of the food/drink that you want/need. My average soda intake per week is 2 cans of mt dew, usually 1 on sat, another sunday....they taste...so damn good, and I just feel great. My sugar intake during the week is literally zero, except the carbs I digest via rice/popcorn/bread/whatever.

[CoffeeCat]

2. I have issues with sugar and starches...

I began therapy a few years ago--and I also began binge eating to deal with the emotions that
therapy brought out.

I would eat lots of sugary and starchy foods. I would also eat very rich, chocolate foods as well.

I'm trying to kick these bad habits. When I stop eating sugars/starches, I experience an array of
withdrawal symptoms. I get headaches and I'm irritable. I feel as if someone raised my anxiety level
and I need something to calm me down. Sugar, chocolate and starchy foods quell the anxiety monster for me.

I don't talk about this much---because frankly, I really don't understand it. I know that eating these foods
is both a physical and psychological addiction. When you eat high-starch, sugary food--the chemistry in your
body changes dramatically. I sometimes wonder if this food abruptly shifts the chemistry in your brain--making
it easier to distract yourself from anxiety or things that are bothering you. It's as if the food alters your
state of mind.

I also know that eating foods like this induces a "sluggish" effect. When I get anxious and need to feel calm--
foods like this put me in a semi-stupor. It's almost anesthetizing. I feel like someone zapped the rough edges
away.

I don't really understand the chemical process in play. I'm unclear what happens at the cellular level. I'd love
to learn more. It's bizarre to me that chocolate chips can quell bad feelings.

Like you--eating like this causes mood swings and leaves you on an emotional roller coaster. The temporary
distraction that sugar/starches brings--is often short lived. It's like a drug. You get a high, but then
you get lows and other emotional garbage---then you need more sugar/starch to cure the side effects---and on
and on the cycle continues.

I think it's amazing that you drop weight like crazy when you give up sugar. That shows you that what you are
doing to yourself is a completely abnormal state. Your body does not want to be where it is. I'm the same
way. When I eat normally (not even dieting), I start dropping weight so quickly. When I eat healthy, I drop
10 lbs a week. I think it's safe to say that we're poisoning ourselves. It's like heroin. We need to detox
and figure out a way to get off of this stuff forever. I know that life on the other side--without these substances--
would mean peace, freedom and health.

I'm trying. I'm making progress.

I hope you are doing well with your own journey. It's difficult. However, it's self discovery. Do you know what
lies under your eating behaviors? If you can discover that and do some journaling--and try to work through the
issues that fuel the eating---you can make tremendous progress.

I wish you the best. I know there are books out there that validate sugar addiction. If I find some online,
I'll post them here.

Take care! I do understand :)

[smirkymonkey]

4. Hi - I haven't checked this forum in a while.

Yes - I have actually dropped quite a bit of weight - easily - just by cutting out starch and sugar, but I was so anxious all the time. My doctor gave me some Xanax for the anxiety, which I took from time to time, but I thought it was ridiculous. I tried adding back a little bit of "healthy" starch and sugar like whole grains, and low fat "whole fruit" popsicles, a little bit of pasta or lite ice cream here and there, some more fruit, etc. which has really helped but I am getting hungrier again and starting to feel more bloated.

I have to go off it again because I don't want to start this cycle over again. I guess I will just have to deal with what this anxiety is all about. I think there is a lot there - I used to drink and smoke and when I stopped those things, I picked up sugar (well, food really) and now I am cutting that out and the only thing left is caffiene. I think I need to give that up too, since I am sure it would really help cut down on the anxiety. God, it sucks being so sensitive and addictive!

I know what you mean - I really do feel that the starch and sugar are like heroin to me - they calm me RIGHT down. Instant relief. I feel very healthy physically when I don't eat those things, but emotionally I have a hard time.

Good luck with your journey and thanks so much for your encouragement! :hi:

[Systematic Chaos]

3. I suffer anxiety a lot no matter what...

...but I know that simple carbs aren't generally good for me, and that seems to bear out in how I feel after consuming too much of them. Complex carbs are the raw fuel of the body. They're very slow to break down so you don't get a nasty blood sugar spike. Anyone here ever had sprouted grain bread? It's extremely dense so you don't need to eat much of it (one sandwich is a meal), and it tastes a million times better than most store bread.

[smirkymonkey]

5. Yes, complex carbs do seem to help a lot, but they always seem

to be kind of "gateway drugs" for me back to the crusty, artisan, white Italian and French bakery loaves that I love so much with cheese and fresh fruits and olives, peppers, etc...

Sometimes, I just think I love certain foods too much to give them up completely, but then I suffer when I go back on them. I wish there could be some happy medium or I wish someone could figure out why some of us are so reactive to certain foods (It seeems to be those of us who are either Insulin resistant or hypoglycemic, or have some kind of issue w/ blood sugar and mood.)

Well, good luck and thanks for the tip! :hi: